Strawberry told her them about her past, fast as she could. Just covering the details of living with the El Gang and her coming to this dimension. Crow's story wasn't much different, except he told them of how Add sent him here to get his best friend and Crow has been living as a mercenary this whole time.
Yumi had just stated that she grew up in Bethma, left on Luna's doorstep. She had soon found out about a group of elves looking for people to join. From then on she trained with them, until she sustained an injury and went back to living in Bethma.
After that, Shirou put out the fire and all of the gang went to sleep. Well, almost all of them. Strawberry stayed awake and hummed a lullaby, the words crystal clear in her head.
Listen and hear a song the birds are singing
Sit down a while and watch the flowers blooming
A pleasant breeze flows by leaving a trail of dust
This is your fault, right?
Standing in the corridor
Who thought we'd be here like this together?
On a gorgeous day like this, I ask
What is it that you want?
I believe there was a time
Where we could be pals and things were better
Eating bad food, enjoying laughs
Can we go back to that?
If you're in there listening, kid,
Just reset the time line and
Let's please forget all of this
Even after what you did he believed in you
'til the end.
Looking at your face right now
That expression tells me I can't
Afford not to care anymore
Turn this path around, wipe your dirty hands clean.
Give up!
Please don't come back
If you're my friend
Please..
Listen and hear a song the birds are singing
Sit down a while and watch the flowers blooming
A pleasant breeze flows by leaving a trail of – (dust)
How could you have done this?
Is there still
A glimmer of hope?
Will you choose
To do the right thing?
Please now, bud
If you're there
Have a change of heart
Listen and hear a song the birds are singing
Sit down a while and watch the flowers blooming
What a nice day..
Strawberry's voice faded off she she fell asleep in peace.
~0~
Yumi was the first awake. Strawberry curled up next to Crow, they looked like siblings. Midnight had pushed his sleeping bag off himself in his sleep. Shirou was sleeping peacefully, his sleeping bag in the same place and not pushed off him.
She took her two ponytails out and put them on a nearby rock.
Her hair sure had grown out, it was long and the ponytails didn't fit her style anymore.
Slipping off her shirt, Yumi thought of a uniform in her mind. It fit perfectly! She would also be able to fight in it.
Closing her eyes and focusing she asked the nature spirits to help her with the task.
The wind blew stronger then usual and Yumi put her hands together, thanking the spirits.
She had a battle plated shirt was gray on the bottom, white around her breasts and had dark green sleeves. The sleeves came out from armour that was black and spiked out like feathers.
Her skirt was lime green with yellow flowers that got smaller the higher they got on the skirt, which only covered her right leg. On her left leg she had black shorts and a green band that went from one side of the skirt to the other. Yumi's boots were black with straps going across, knives sat on the top, resting just above the boot. Erendril was situated next to them. The boots also had green bottoms and soles.
For her bow, she simply wrapped it in loose vines, and she was finished, well almost. She still had her hair to do. Yumi picked up the hairbands and made a sort of bun on both sides of her head. The buns looked like flowers and had a streak of hair coming from the bottom.
She realized suddenly that the buns won't stay in a battle, so she picked three flowers, putting the first two in the middle of the buns and the other one in her bangs.
Finishing with a pleased sigh, Yumi sat on a rock and watched her team sleep.
~0~
Shirou was the next to wake up, he saw Yumi sitting on a rock, reading a book.
Looking around the camp, he saw Crow and Midnight beginning to wake up, Strawberry having no sign of waking.
~0~
After the whole gang was awake, they laid out their plans.
Midnight tilted his head at the elf, "We're going to . . . Hamel?" Yumi nodded and rolled up her map.
"The path is long." said Strawberry; her words few and far between. Her throat was scratchy from talking.
"Mm. I know. That's why we're leaving right now." Yumi said with a stern expression.
Shirou gawked at her, "But we haven't even had breakfast yet!"
"Don't whine about it, it will only make you more hungry," Electrecia said, locking eyes with him. "She's right ya' know." Crow said, saluting the adult with a smirk/smile on his face.
Strawberry picked up her bag."Well, time to go."
~0~
It had been so long since Strawberry had been in Hamel, and she was not impressed at all. The stunning whites had yellowed and it was flooded. Even more so since Chung had left.
The poorer folk were the first they saw. All of them stared down the clean, and (possibly) rich folk. Children ran around playing games like tag and hide and go seek.
Strawberry smiled at their childish innocence. "Excuse me," said one of them, off to the side. Crow turned his attention to the man, the rest of the game following his lead. "You . . . you must turn back! It's not safe here."
Midnight smiled at the man, giving the hand signal to the rest, so that they could go on. "I'll be right behind you."
They looked at him for a moment then nodded and walked away. Midnight kneeled down toward him and put his hand over his heart, "It's okay sir, we're well trained."
~0~
He found the gang with Melody, the Cobo girl. She had introduced them all to the Mayor of Hamel. (Who was quite the egotistical brat, in Midnight's opinion.)
Strawberry smiled at the mayor. "Hello Ma'am. I'm Strawberry." She bowed, Shirou did the same,(Also introducing himself.) and the mayor giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Well, at some of you have manners."
Midnight pulled Strawberry back and glared at the mayor. "What are you doing?" She said out of the corner of her mouth. "I don't like this mayor. She's fishy." Hearing this, Strawberry stopped struggling against him and just smiled.
He sighed and let go. "Let me introduce you to the Prince. He is normally kept in the castle, to meet new people! Wow, he'd by happy." The mayor said, turning around and walked away, signaling for them to follow.
"There was a saying that rings in my mind." Strawberry looked up at the mayor and Shirou, who were talking about something.
'With incompetent leaders they will rely on heroes such as ourselves, and when we fail to do something they will always say :"In the end you failed to save them."'
"That's dark." Midnight replied. "I'm a dark person." She shrugged.
~0~
The prince was really bubbly and Strawberry immediately made friends with him. "Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, hello, my name is Kaki Seiker."
Strawberry smiled at him and Midnight had half the mind to pull her away. "Oh yes. We have a limited number of rooms because of the demons attacking, so you'll have to double up."
"How about . . . Yumi with Electrecia, Shirou with Crow, and that just leaves me . . . and . . . Midnight. Which I'm totally fine with. I mean why wouldn't I be? Haha . . . ha . . . ha." Strawberry's laughs died down.
Kaki smiled with a sweat drop. "Well that's great. You all good with those plans?"
"Yeah."
"Sure."
"Affirmative."
"No way."
Everyone looked at Crow. "Huh? Why not?" Yumi looked between all the people then narrowed her eyes. "Oh~ I see~"
Shirou looked at her. "Why would Crow decline?" She smirked and whispered something in his ear. When she pulled away he was a bright red. "Or something like that."
"Let's go Elec." Yumi waved Elec along with her to the first bedroom.
"Crow . . . Um . . . It's getting late . . . We should probably go to our room."
"Right. Strawberry, come on." Crow growled with a smile on his face.
"But -!"
"Strawberry!"
"Yes . . ."
Strawberry followed Shirou and Crow to their room, Midnight watched them go, then walked to the last room in the hall.
~0~
"Why'd you not let me sleep in the same room as Night?" Strawberry scowled the second the door closed.
Shirou sat on the first bed, the one close to the door. "He's a psycho, Berry." Crow replied to her, sighing.
She grit her teeth, "We're on separate beds! Honestly! What are you, my Dad?"
"Strawberry-"
"Well, news flash! You aren't and the closest people who will ever even feel like a dad are either Elsword himself or Add." She yelled. Then turned tail and stormed out of the room.
Strawberry walked out to the balcony and put both her hands the railing.
The wind blew through her hair and it felt great. She took a quick glance behind her and saw Midnight, he didn't see the glance so Strawberry said, "I never knew my father. Hell, I don't even know who my mother even is."
"You . . . Don't?"
She laughed a little, then smiled. "Whenever I try to remember before I met Add, then joined the El Gang, all I can remember is fire, then my head hurts."
Strawberry put her head on the rail and Midnight walked up to her and looked at her. "Why're you telling me this?"
She laughed, "Didn't I say it before? I trust you." Strawberry turned around and smiled at him. "We should probably get to bed, it's getting real late."
"Yeah you should probably get back to Crow-"
She put one finger to his mouth. "I think I'll sleep where I was supposed to."
Midnight smiled at her. "After you."
~0~
Strawberry's nightgown was pink with a dark pink cat on the corner, her hair was pulled back into a short ponytail and pink cat slippers.
Midnight wore a black and white shirt that was loose and black pants.
He stared at Strawberry as she pulled back her covers. If there was one thing Midnight noticed was that without all her gear on her, she looked more, girly. When a crossbow was hooked to her hands, she couldn't use that hand, which is different from now. Her knife and sword were missing and she seemed to be really skinny.
"Hey when was the last time you ate?"
"Uh, last time we ate?"
"Hn."
"Goodnight."
~0~
Midnight woke up to pink hair and the smell of strawberries. He blinked his eyes open and looked down. "Strawberry?"
She just snuggled closer to him. "Five more minutes, Add." Midnight grimaced and pushed his nose into her hair, "You actually smell like strawberries ya know."
A knock on the door made Strawberry crack open her eyes. "You guys. We have to get ready for the council, ball thing. Hurry up and get ready."
She groaned and jumped out of the bed. "Good morning, Midnight!" Strawberry smiled at him and ran to the bathroom on the right side on the room.
He stared at the younger girl, who pulled her hair out of it's ponytail and turned toward him, holding the black ribbon in her hands.
Before going into the bathroom, she put the ribbon on the table next to the door. "Don't forget ~ Today's the masquerade~"
Crow knocked on the door and Midnight got up to open it. "Yeah?"
Before he said anything Crow pulled Midnight towards Shirou and Kaki.
"Goood morning! We're going to get you a costume!"
~0~
Strawberry loved frilly things. It's why she could survive living with Rena.
The older girl had practically used her as a living Barbie doll.
She sighed and walked to the balcony outside the ball room and looked at the afternoon sky. The sun was going down and almost everyone had already danced. She had long since given up looking for Midnight, he had black hair (which is a normal hair colour) and a mask.
Crow wouldn't even give her a clue to where he was. That was only scratching one of her problems. Strawberry has had a headache since she came to Hamel. Must be because of all the . . . dark . . . El . . .
. . .
Her eye's went wide and she gripped the balcony, if she didn't leave soon – Who'd know what she'd do?!
"Strawberry?"
She turned around, with a slight smile.
Kaki stood there in a blue suit. "You're not going to join the party?"
"Nah. I'm not feeling too good."
"Oh I see . . . You can always . . . Leave."
Strawberry sighed, "Well, then. See you tomorrow."
She glided past him and toward the door, which was closed. Right. Before. She reached it.
The king came up on stage, soon joined by Kaki. The crowd went into an uproar.
"Everyone, please calm down! The United City is safe!" The king shouted over the uproar. The yelling did not die down.
Strawberry stared at Midnight, who was across the room. Even from where she was, Strawberry could see how rigid his face was, how tight his hand was clenching the glass in his hand.
"Midnight . . ."
Strawberry started to make her way after the boy, who had started to walk up to the small stage.
"You're safe as long as we're here! I can promise you that!" Midnight yelled, putting his hand over his heart.
Her eyes widened, and she pushed her way to the front of the crowd. "You truly are amazing . . . Midnight. I would never be able to do something like that."
~0~
Strawberry crossed her legs and stared at Midnight who was reading a book. "So. We were thinking of staying here. We met a man, who invited to join his organization. He wants to stop the government from becoming corrupt. Apparently, he's a big deal." Midnight stared right back at Strawberry. "Oh?"
Strawberry directed her eyes toward the mirror on Midnight's side of the room. "Oh really now?"
"Yeah." The silence was crushing Strawberry after that.
Stand up, everybody look alive
Said come on come on come on
We gonna get it now
Hands up if you're ready for a fight
Said come on come on come on
We gonna win it now
I don't need you to believe in me
I know how to change my destiny
Sit down, about to rewrite our history, rewrite our history, rewrite our history
We can change the whole world
Gonna take it over
Gonna start it over
Don't you know what we could be?
A new beginning
Fight until we're winning
Tell me that you're in it
Don't you wanna be
A superhero
A superhero
A superhero
Don't you wanna be
A superhero
A superhero
A superhero
Anybody could be
Anybody could be
Anybody could be
Rip it off, show the symbol on your chest
Said come and show the world
Who you really are
It's not enough to be better than the rest
Gotta take it to the top
And make yourself a superstar
You don't need them to believe in you
Get your mission on lock and see it through
You've got all the power you need in you, power you need in you, power you need in you
We can change the whole world
Gonna take it over
Gonna start it over
Don't you know what we could be?
A new beginning
Fight until we're winning
Tell me that you're in it
Don't you wanna be
A superhero
A superhero
A superhero
Don't you wanna be
A superhero
A superhero
A superhero
Anybody could be
Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
We can change the whole world
Gonna take it over
Gonna start it over
Don't you know what we could be?
A new beginning
Fight until we're winning
Tell me that you're in it
Don't you wanna be
A superhero
A superhero
A superhero
Don't you wanna be
A superhero
A superhero
A superhero
Anybody could be
We can change the whole world
Gonna take it over
Gonna start it over
Don't you know what we could be?
A new beginning
Fight until we're winning
Tell me that you're in it
Don't you wanna be
A superhero
A superhero
A superhero
Don't you wanna be
A superhero
A superhero
She hummed the song under her breath, catching the attention of Midnight. "New song?" She nodded, then lied down on her bed.
Not saying anything to the swordsman on the other side of the room, she blew out the candle.
"Let him think what he wants. I don't work for no one."
~0~
OML! I'M SO SORRY! I wanted to enjoy my summer vacation, so I rarely wrote and added to this. Sorry! Anyway, we have one or two more chapters to go, until we reach the sequel.